“And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”
My Notes
What Does Galatians 4:14 Mean?
"Ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus." Paul reminds the Galatians how they originally received him: despite his physical affliction ("my temptation which was in my flesh"), they didn't despise him. They treated him as if he were an angel — as if he were Christ Himself. The welcome exceeded what his physical condition would have predicted.
The phrase "my temptation which was in my flesh" likely refers to a visible illness or physical condition that could have caused the Galatians to reject Paul. Whatever it was — possibly the "thorn in the flesh" of 2 Corinthians 12:7 — it was visible enough to provoke rejection and significant enough that Paul considered it a temptation for others to dismiss him.
The contrast between then (receiving him as Christ) and now (deserting the gospel he taught) is the emotional core of Paul's argument: you welcomed me so beautifully. What happened? The people who once treated a sick apostle like an angel are now abandoning his message.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever received a message well initially and then abandoned it?
- 2.How does judging a messenger by their physical condition relate to how you evaluate spiritual teachers?
- 3.What does the gap between the Galatians' initial welcome and current desertion teach about spiritual consistency?
- 4.What truth did you once embrace that you're now drifting from?
Devotional
You received me as an angel. As Christ Himself. Despite my illness. Despite whatever was wrong with my body. You looked past the physical condition and saw the messenger. You treated me with the honor you'd give to God's own ambassador.
And now you're abandoning what I taught you.
Paul's appeal is emotional and specific: remember how you treated me? Remember the generosity of your welcome? You didn't despise my weakness — you honored it. You didn't reject the messenger because of his packaging — you received the message through the packaging. That welcome was the best version of yourselves. And now you're being the worst version.
The Galatians' original response — receiving a sick, afflicted apostle as Christ — is the model for how every community should treat messengers: judge the message, not the messenger's appearance. The sick preacher carries the same gospel as the healthy one. The struggling teacher delivers the same truth as the impressive one. The packaging doesn't determine the content.
But the Galatians' current response — deserting the gospel despite their initial welcome — shows that good beginnings don't guarantee good continuations. You can receive someone beautifully and abandon them completely. The welcome doesn't prevent the desertion.
What messenger have you received well and then abandoned? What truth did you welcome with open arms that you're now walking away from?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Where is then the blessedness you spake of?.... Or, as some copies read, "what was then your blessedness?" what, and how…
And my temptation - “My trial,” the thing which was to me a trial and calamity. The meaning is, that he was afflicted…
And my temptation which was in my flesh - On this verse there are a great many various readings, as there are various…
That these Christians might be the more ashamed of their defection from the truth of the gospel which Paul had preached…
And my temptation The true reading is probably - yourtemptation". The Apostle's sickness was a trial of their faith.…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture